A Tale of Two Annes

Anne Shirley, portrayed by Caitlin Dollins, poses with two charmed fans following Saturday night's presentation of Anne of Green Gables by The Poplar Bluff Stage Company.

By Courtney Luke

Eighth grade Caitlin Dollins is already a veteran of the stage.

Within the year, she has acted the title lead in two separate productions of The Stage Company of Poplar Bluff. She excelled at portraying two very different young girls named Anne.

In The Diary of Anne Frank, she portrayed a young Jewish girl forced to live in hiding with her own family and others during the Nazi occupation of the Netherlands.

As most of us remember from our years in school, the real Anne Frank kept a diary during her time exiled found after her death by the only surviving member of her family- her father.

In close quarters and living with many restrictions, the group survived with the assistance of a few trusted outsiders, but eventually, they were betrayed and then violently taken to concentration camps.

Anne vibrantly recorded the events and her thoughts during this time period, and equally vibrantly, Caitlin portrayed the young girl.

Caitlin masterfully portrayed the extreme emotions young Anne endured with a depth seldom seen in such a young actor.

This past week, Caitlin brought to life another Anne- the young freckle faced orphan from Anne of Green Gables.

As a fictional character, Anne of Green Gables brought out an entirely different side to Caitlin's acting.

Imaginative and precocious Anne Shirley was just as believably portrayed as was Anne Frank.

The eyes of young children in the audience appeared transfixed upon the stage and instead of the wiggles and squirms often attributed to a young audience, they were instead intent to hear every word uttered by the full cast of actors.

Consistently comedic in nature, The Stage Company of Poplar Bluff, with elaborate costuming and stage setting, made the charming Avonlea of legend seem not too far away.

In dark contrast, in The Diary of Anne Frank, the actors brought the terror of Amsterdam far too close.